1 Mom got out of the car holding a brown box. David met her on the front porch and was curious about the sounds he heard coming from it.
2 "What is it, Mom?" he asked, trying to see into the box.
3 Mom held it up a little higher. "Do you remember how I fenced the garden last summer, so I could have the bug patrol ducks?"
4 "You got ducklings!" shouted David. "May I please see them?" he asked.
5 Mom nodded and lowered the box so he could see inside. Looking back at David were six pair of bright eyes. "These are black and yellow," he said. "The kind we got last year were just yellow."
6 "These are a different kind of duck," said Mom. "These won't quack when they are all grown up. In fact, I am planning to keep them. I thought about how busy I am and wondered if you would like to look after them for me."
7 David's face lit up. "Oh yes!" he said. "I have wanted ducklings! It was fun watching them follow you last year. I would like to have ducklings following me!"
8 They went into the house and Mom let David carefully put each duckling into the special warming box she had ready. They got a small heavy bowl and filled it with water for them to drink. Then Mom got some food for them. The babies were tired and after eating and drinking, they fell asleep in a fuzzy black and yellow pile. David stared at them for a while. It was hard to see where one duckling left off and another one began.
Paragraphs 9 to 17:
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